Geneticist James Watson poses with the original double helical DNA model in 2005 at the science museum in London.

Geneticist James Watson poses with the original double helical DNA model in 2005 at the science museum in London.

Photo: ODD ANDERSEN, Staff

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Medical research illlustration

Medical research illlustration

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Gibbs: Genetic testing set to become commonplace

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Soon you might be asked, "Did you have your genome sequenced?" Or, even more poignantly, "What did you find?" Today, that question might be asked in the doctor's office, but the conversation soon will shift to family reunions, the dinner table and cocktail parties. Are we ready?

Predicting major societal change requires out-of-the-box speculation. I call this arm chair futurism, in contrast to easier, more timid extrapolations of present circumstances.

In genetics and personalized medicine, we have seen dramatic progress since Watson and Crick deduced the structure of DNA's double helix (1953) and the Human Genome Project provided the first complete human sequence (2003).

Now, widespread access to inexpensive DNA sequencing to check for predisposition to birth defects, cancer or even adult diseases is inevitable. Whole genome DNA tests will be part of medicine and will press issues of genetic privacy, insurance access and employability.

There are some other changes, however, that could even more dramatically influence our lives. As with the proliferation of cellphones, personal computers and the Internet, these may only seem logical in hindsight. Looking ahead, they are more like science fiction. These changes will result from an onslaught of genetic data in every aspect of life.

To prepare, we need to develop "genetic literacy" in the same way and to the same degree that we needed "computer competence" a decade ago.

In the past five years, we have developed relatively inexpensive methods for complete DNA tests for single patients that are now being applied in a limited, but growing, way in clinical practice. The most dramatic examples are in the diagnosis of the 1 percent of young children with health problems that may be suspected to have genetic causes. Even two years ago, such diagnoses were hit-or-miss, relying on the very high skill levels of specialized doctors and the medical literature.

With growing patient numbers, the fraction that gets solved also increases. We already are discussing how to extend DNA sequencing to become part of existing newborn screening programs for genetic diseases, broadening the reach of diagnostic public health currently limited by old technology. We also test new cancer cases for the genes that make them suitable for the targeted treatments that are the most cutting edge therapies today. The ongoing use of DNA sequencing is speeding discovery and offering hope for future cancer patients.

Even though these groundbreaking tests are new and complex, they will soon be mainstream as a result of rapid technology development and the demand for answers by patients and physicians.

As the use of DNA tests proliferates, a societal shift looms. Digesting the information requires an understanding of the language of the genome. Parents and patients will be refreshing their understanding of the biology of genes and inheritance - or else looking at the Internet for their first education in this breathtaking science.

This interest in genetics is already fueled by interest in ancestry. Like "genealogy on steroids," DNA tests can tell any curious person inordinate details about their prior generations.

Features of human appearance also can have a genetic basis. Each of my own mother's eyes was a different color, and she had a shock of gray hair - hallmark features of Waardenburg syndrome, usually caused by mutations in a gene called PAX3.

So far we understand only a fraction of our DNA blueprint, although knowledge is growing exponentially as each discovery leverages the next. In the future, people will check each new finding against their own code to see if they have a new genetic feature.

The stage is therefore set to go beyond an era of "genomic medicine," where each person's inherited DNA sequence is used only by health care professionals for medical care. We are about to be immersed in genetic data - fascinating, useful and quite complicated, demanding an understanding of basic principle of genetics.

Despite others' elitist views that most of the public cannot grasp basic scientific facts, I am optimistic.

Genetic information is simply so interesting and important that even a speck of curiosity will lead anyone to want to learn about their personal blueprint.